Converting Video For The HTC Aria

The HTC Aria is an Android smartphone sold through AT&T in the US. It can also be bought outside the US, where it goes by the model name of Liberty.

In this guide you will learn how convert video in various formats to H.264 with AAC audio for playback on the Aria. Eventually it will include sections for using many different tools so you can learn to use whatever software makes the most sense for you. For now we'll be starting with instructions for using HandBrake. Each section will give complete instructions for a different program. Some also include steps requiring additional software, like a bitrate calculator or media player. Others only require a single piece of software which handles everything from beginning to end. All the software used can be downloaded from AfterDawn.com's Downloads section.

Video Enhancement

Using This Guide

Initially this guide only has a single section, which details using HandBrake. Eventually additional sections will be added to provide instructions for using other tools. Each section will begin with an overview of the software being used. Hopefully this will help you decide what tools are best suited to your needs and preferences.

In addition to the standard text and images found in all of AfterDawn's guides, this one also includes embedded videos demonstrating how to use and configure the software described in the text. Many of these videos provide in depth explanations of various processes you will be using or decisions you will need to make.

HTC Aria Supported H.264 Features

Just because a device supports H.264 video, it doesn't automatically follow that it supports every possible feature. In fact H.264 video runs the gamut from low bitrate, low resolution, low compression videos for low end mobile devices to 1080p movies on Blu-ray discs. The key is to figure out what features are supported on your device so you know how to get maximum quality at a minimum file size.

Below is a list of recommended settings for encoding video and audio for playback on the Aria. Some of these settings, such as Profile, are dictated by the device's limitations. But most have been selected with the goal of maintaining a balance between file size, quality & encoding speed. Some options are redundant, such as Baseline Profile and no B-frames. This is done intentionally to show the options you may need to select if your H.264 encoder doesn't allow you to directly set the profile.

You won't need to know any of these settings to follow along with the application specific instructions on the following pages, but if you prefer to use a tool we haven't added a section for yet, they are a good starting point.

* Some phones now support MKV files. If your phone has this feature, it may be a better choice than MP4. Among other things, this may improve subtitle support in some media players.

** Although Timed Text subtitles are the standard subtitle format for MP4 files, Depending on the player you use, subtitle support in MP4 files varies. It may require the use of an external SRT subtitle file or may not work at all.